Flexible supporting device



Feb. 27, 1923 1,446,? 29 o. WEINGARTEN FLEXIiSL-IE SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Oct 26, 1920 In ven t or: Ufazr Wemgarfien fn's Aity Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

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OSCAR WEINGAR'IEN, OF NEW YORK, N. -Y.

FLEXIBLE surroa'rrne- DEVICE.

Application filed October 26,1920. Serial No. 419,604.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR TVRINGARTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Flexible Supporting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in a general sense to garments, and in its more specific application refers to the abdominal supports usually attached to corsets.

Certain types of corset-s, have depending skirt portions which heretofore have been closed by the lacing cord running through the corset. The use of a lacing cord in the skirt portion or the abdominal supporting portion of the corset has many disadvantages. Probably its main disadvantage is the lack of flexibility and the difiiculty the wearer experiences in opening and closing the laces. The natural tendency, when the wearer of a corset is seated, is for the abdomen to expand, and unless such expansion to a reasonable extent is permitted by the corset, great discomfort is experienced. lVhen the skirt or abdominal portion of the corset is laced it does not give sufficiently, or if it does give, then when the wearer arises it does not reassume its proper form so as to perform the abdominal supporting function.

The object of my invention is to obviate the defects in existing structures and to provide a yieldable connecting member which is capable of varied application, but is especially desirable in the skirt or abdominal supporting portion of the corset so as to give the wearer absolute comfort and permit facile manipulation thereof.

In general terms the invention may be said to consist of flexible connecting members arranged opposite each other in the depending skirt portions of the corset, the outer ends of such members being provided with hooks or other engaging devices so that the edges of the skirt portions may be held yieldably closed.

The preferred form of the invention is illustratively exemplified in the accompanyin drawing, in which igure 1 is a front elevational View of a corset having the attaching means secured to the skirt portion thereof;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view with parts of the skirt portion broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the skirt portion of the corset, the fabric of the latter being broken away in parts to better illustrate the connecting members; and

Figure 1 is a detailed elevational view of the connecting members proper.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates the reenforced bodice portion of a corset having a skirt portion 11 fashioned of any suitable material such as a non-rubber flexible webbing commonly used in articles of womens wear. The usual front fastening means for the bodice portion are shown at 13 and may be steel ribbons having hooks and eyes thereon. The closure for the skirt member comprises any suitable means such as hooks and eyes attached to a hem extended from the covered steels and indicated at 13. The skirt portion as ordinarily constructed, comprises two layers of loosely woven material 14 turned over on its self and stitched to form the hemmed edges 15, having an elongated slot 16 adapted to permit a fastening hook 17 on one edge and eye 18 on the other to extend therethrough. The hook and eye- 17 and 18 respectively are attached to flexible members 19 and 20 secured between the layers of material 14 substantially as shown in Fig. 3. A plate 21 to which the hook 17 is attached is provided with a series of holes 22 used to secure the said plate to the edge of the fabric either by rivets or by stitches as shown. The holes 23 at the inner edge of the plate correspond to similar holes 2st in a plate 25 secured to the material at a point several inches from the edge. The holes 23 and 24 in the plates 21 and 25 are adapted to receive the ends of a series of the flexible members or springs 19 and; 20 supported therebetween. The construction of the flexible member carrying the eye is substantially the same as that of the hook member described above. In order to assure the proper action of the springs 19 and 20 and preserve their respective positions the plates may be provided with inwardly protruding guide bars 27 attached to their inner edges and extending within said springs toward each other as shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that with this arrangement the expansion of the skirt is confined to the portion of the space between the inner ends of the bars 27.

The operation of the device is substan tially as follows :The opposed plates 21 and 25 of the flexible members 19 and 20 are secured to the skirt portion of the corset at a point corresponding to a position just below the abdomen of the human figure. l/Vhen the wearer of the corset is in an erect position the skirt portion of thecor set'will tend to reduce the abdomen without undue pressure thereon. However, when the wearer is in a sitting position-the abdomen will necessarily expand and the confining members are of such construction as to permit the proper amount of expansion at the proper place without injury or 'discomi'ortto the wearer. Theplates 21 and 25 ofthe device constitute the fixed portions of the skirt between which the springs 19 and 20: may expand and contract under appropriate conditions. i

Although I have'herein shown and described the device asbeing applied to a corset only, it will be obvious that it may be equally well used for hose supporters and in other connections in which an expansible and contractible support of this cha-racter is required. I

I claim r a I Y 1. A garmentsecurmg member comprising expansib-le connecting members having exposed ends with interengaging means thereon, and guide means at opposite ends of said members whereby movement of the latter adjacent their ends may be confined to axialexpansion. I

2. In a corset having a skirt portion, connecting members in the latter, eacli connect; ing member comprising oppositely 7 arranged supports and coiled springs between said supports guide bars secured to said supports and extending axially within said springs and toward each other, whereby the expansion of the skirt portion is confined to the portion of the space between the inner ends of said bars and connecting members secured to and projectingiirom the supports at the marginal edgesogfi the skirtportions.

In testimony whereof I have, aflixed my signature. v .v c

. OSCAR W'EINGARTEN, 

